Elements and Performance Criteria
- Apply knowledge of printing industry
- Apply knowledge of government acts and regulations
- Basic principles and obligations involved in copyright, OHS, environmental protection, access and equity and industrial awards are understood in relation to the workplace
- The basic principles and obligations involved in copyright, OHS, environmental protection, access and equity and industrial awards are followed in personal work practices
- Apply detailed knowledge of pre-press processes
- The basic principles behind the following pre-press functions: image production (typesetting, scanning, graphic arts camera), image combining (manual and electronic), image output (film, plates, direct to press) and digital workflow are understood and used in the production process where applicable
- Different types of images (line, half-tone), digital and their use are understood and used as required
- Different output settings eg screen rulings and angles, shapes, and describe how they affect final printed product are understood and used as required
- The different types of output required for different media and printing processes are understood and used in the production process where applicable
- Different output devices eg film setters, plate setters, analogue proofs, digital proofs are understood and built into the production process where applicable
- Apply knowledge of printing processes
- Basic principles of the following printing processes: lithography, relief, flexography, gravure, pad printing, screen printing, digital/electronic printing are understood and are used to inform production processes
- The types of jobs and products for which each process is appropriate are understood and are used to inform production decisions
- The capabilities and limitations of each process are understood and are used to inform production decisions
- Apply knowledge of converting and finishing processes
- Basic characteristics of the following converting and finishing processes: guillotining, flat-bed and rotary cutting, collating, folding, adhesive, mechanical and thermal fastening are understood and are used to inform production processes
- The types of jobs and products for which each process is appropriate are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Apply detailed knowledge of substrates
- The relationship of different substrate sizes is understood and is used to inform production processes
- Different weights, callipers, bulk, density and opacity of substrates and how they affect pre-press, printing and finishing operations and end uses are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Paper grain and how it affects pre-press, printing and finishing operations are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Moisture content, porosity and ink absorbency and how they affect pre-press, printing and finishing operations are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Gloss, smoothness and surface strength and how they affect pre-press, printing and finishing operations are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Permanence, durability and acidity and alkalinity of paper and how they affect pre-press, printing and finishing operations and end uses are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Bursting strength, folding endurance, tensile strength and tearing resistance and how they affect printing and finishing operations and end uses are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Apply knowledge of converting and finishing requirements for pre-press and printing processes
- Use and positioning of trimming and folding marks and how these are affected by different substrates are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Quality checking procedures and problems that should be reported to printer or pre-press and those that are the responsibility of converter or finisher are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Criteria for producing folding impositions are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Procedures for determining appropriate packing techniques are understood and are used to inform production processes
- Apply basic knowledge of costs of production
- The main cost elements (fixed, capital and variable) in printing production are understood and used to inform converting and finishing decisions
- The information required to accurately cost jobs and the means of collecting it (manual and computerised) are applied to work practices
- Ways of minimising use of materials without affecting the quality of output are understood and used to inform converting and finishing processes
- Ways of maximising efficiency of capital and human resources are understood and used to inform converting and finishing processes
- Apply basic knowledge of production management requirements and systems
- The types of information that need to be exchanged between different stages of production to facilitate production efficiency are understood and used to inform personal work practices
- Systems (manual and computerised) that can be used to exchange information are understood and used in the workplace
- The basic principles of efficient production management are understood and used to inform personal work practices